Potato separator



S. J. LEVESQUE POTATO SEPARATOR Oct. 7, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 50, 1947 INVENTOR. PIor; Jle re Jgue 7mm 5%,. WM

Arron/VFW" Oct. 7, 1952 S.J.LEVESQUE I 2,612,993

POTATO SEPARATOR Filed Dec. 50, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. J. LEVESQUE POTATO SEPARATOR Oct. 7, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 50, 1947 INVENTOR.

ATfOR/VEYJ Oct. 7, 1952 5. J. LEVESQUE 2,612,993

POTATO SEPARATOR Filed Dec. 50, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 f 5 W V W 9 l J m A J Oct.7, 1952 5. J. LEVESQUE 2,612,993

POTATO SEPARATOR Filed Dec. 50, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

Q2770 [Zn/sagas ATTORNEY] Oct. 7, 1952 s. J. LEVESQUE 2,612,993

POTATO SEPARATOR Filed Dec. 30, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 7! 74 7 7 INVENTOR.

K 107/7200 flel eayue ATTORA EVJ Patented Oct. 7, 1952 v UNITED STAT romro SEPARATOR Simon- JZLcvesque, St. Leonard, New Brunswick, Canada Application December 30, 19 27, Serial No. 794,655

This invention relates to improvements in potato-digging apparatus, and. is more particularly directed to the provision of an efficient and conveniently operable mechanism whereby potatoes or other grown material may not only be most readily removed from their home soil, but maybe conveyed to means capable of selectively separatin them from spoil.

It is, of course, well known that potatoes or the like are of variable size and form, and when the same are grown in a sandy soil which contains stones or other obstructions of approximately the same size as the objects to be removed therefrom, it is desirable that the potatoes or the like be removed from the soil without seriously bruising or in any other mannerinjuring them through handling. As will appear, the construction of the invention is such that the objects being removedfrom the soil'are readily and efficiently conveyed to a suitable container in such a way that such objects are not only protected against bruises or other injury during handling, but also are separated from light spoil, such as dirt, vines, and as well as from heavy spoil, such as rocks or stones, with the resultant end that there are discharged stacks of piles of the desiredobjects, such as potatoes, which are substantially free of spoil, as is necessary for efficient and economical production of such material from a farm, garden or the like with which the device disclosed hereinafter is concerned,

It has long been the practice, in the harvesting of a garden area for which the apparatus of this invention is particularly adapted, to utilize manual labor for the picking of the potatoes or other objects out of the soil and subsequently sorting the same according to size and from spoil, and a very definite disadvantage results from such practice in associating with potatoes or other objects a certain accumulation of stones or other objectionable material. inclusion in an accumulation of potatoes of vines, stones, sand, or any other type of spoil will not only make it difficult to sort the same once they have arrived at their discharging station, but may very easily render the picking mechanism unusable. a

It has been knownto provide a potato digger in association with a tractor or the like, but such devicesheret-ofore known have always been towed by the tractor or other vehicle. It is a special feature of this invention to provide a novel apparatus which is capable of doing the same job heretofore done by the horse or tractor-drawn Obviously; the" 2 Claims. (Cl. Mil-32) digger now commonly used which will be actually mounted on the tractor, and, as will appear, the deviceis less cumbersome and easier to handle than prior devices.

It is, accordingly, a principal object of the invention to provide a digging apparatus which may be operated by one man, the tractor driver being the usual operator, as distinguished from the prior practice of employing a relatively large number of persons to dig the potatoes, or the utilization of a complicated towed mechanism requiring the. constant attention of several employes.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the main axle of a tractor or other vehicle may be utilized to powerdrive the same, and there is provided a special arrangement whereby the vehicle may be properly connected to the apparatus of the invention in order that the same may be moved with the tractor as a unit over the surfacebeing operated upon. r 1

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a potato-digging apparatus which isboth labor-saving and requires a minimum amount of effort in the operation of the same, and it is a special feature that there is provided means whereby the potatoes or" other objects may be quickly and easily removed from the natural depositing them on a conveying belt, on atowed,

vehicle, in such a way that the same are readily and efliciently separated from spoil by suitable automatic means under the control of a single operator. p

It is a further object to provide a novel combination comprisinga tractor-mounted digger with a tractor-drawn sorter, separator and packer; i

It is a further object to provide a novel apparatus adapted: to be towed by a tractor for sorting potatoes and separating them from spoil and delivering the separated potatoes to'a packing station.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent after a reading of the following description, and reference will be Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View on the plane of the line 5- 5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a partial top plan view of the drive mechanism for the digger;

Figure 7 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view, with parts broken away, of the main conveyor device of the invention and taken substantially on the plane of the line of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 38 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the digger and its conveyor, parts being broken away and shown in longitudinal vertical section; Figure 10 is a front elevational view of the digger and its conveyor of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the driving mechanisms for the. sorter and separator, with parts in section;

Figure 12 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line |2--|2 of Figure 2; Figure 13 is a perspective view of one of the carrying conveyor cleats;

Figure 14 is a top plan view draft means.

It should be here pointed out that under present practice it has been common to employ. as many as twenty men to obtain anything equal to an eflicient potato-digging operation of a single row of potatoes under even the most ideal conditions. When a breakdown occurs with the conventional apparatus, it is obvious that the several men commonly employed upon the same are, therefore, idle, in addition to the fact that the apparatus itself is no longer capable of efficient operation. Consequently, when events of a hydraulic require that the operators cease work during the seasonal period when potatoes in particular are ready for digging, there is a tremendous economic and financial loss, since unpicked potatoes, once wet, are practically useless to the farmer.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

As previously stated, stones, vines and other spoil are inevitably picked up by a digger construction of the type here involved, along with the more desirable objects. In the device of the invention means are provided whereby the potatoes which are dug up from the ground are transferred onto, and are conveyed upwardly along, a slatted endless belt or the'like which runs along a side of the device, so as to be sorted and separated from sand or small potatoes, and thereafter deposited on an upper conveyor while being subjected to an upwardly-directed air blast to eliminate residual sand, vines and other light spoil. They are then subjected to a transverse ures.

ing in suitable shipping containers, such as barrels or sacks.

The device according to my invention comprises a digger which includes a conveyor, both of which are mounted directly on a tractor. Such digger and conveyor are best illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 9 and 10, and to some extent in Figures 3 and 6. The device also comprises a trailer adapted to be towed by a tractor and which includes one or more conveyors and means for cleaning and sorting potatoes received from the digger conveyor. This portion of the invention is best illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, with details being shown in certain of the other fig- The provision of a separate digger and conveyor carried by the tractor enables potatoes to be dug in terrain too difficult to permit the passage thereover of a tractor and trailer, and which types of terrain have heretofore been harvested by hand. With the present arrangement, although the sorting and packing must be done by hand, it is possible to. mechanically dig the potatoes by the tractor attachment in any terrain which can be traversed by a tractor by itself. I

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout to designate like parts, and referring more particularly to the digger attachment disclosed in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 10, 20 designates generally any suitable tractor having a frame 2|, a rear axle 22, and rear wheels 23. The tractor frame 2| has mounted thereon adjacent the rear axle 22 any suitable seat 24 for an operator. Conveniently located adjacent the seat 24 is a hand lever 25, the purpose of which will be described later. The tractor 20 includes a, rearwardly-directed power take-off shaft 26 which extends rearwardly of the rear axle 22. The

; take-off shaft 26 leads to a gear box 21 of any suitable form and which includes any suitable gears and a. laterally-directed driven shaft 28. The driven shaft 28 drives the tractor-carried conveyor about to be described.

The digger attachment according to the invention comprises an auxiliary frame member 29 which is secured atop the rear axle housing 22 in any suitable manner, as by being welded thereto, as at 30, Figure 9. The rear end of-the t; frame member 29 terminates in a transversely disposed cross-piece 3|, the free ends of which terminate in depending lugs 32. Each of the lugs .32. has secured thereto a forwardly and downwardly directed rail 33. The outer end of i the drive shaft 28 extends through the rails The rear ends of the rails are rigidly supported by the lugs 32 and upward movement of the rails is eliminated by their hearin against the under surface of the axle housing 22. If necessary, the rails may be held in engagement with the axle housing 22 by any suitable means, not shown. That portion of the drive shaft 28 which extends between the rails 33 has fixed thereon in any suitable manner a pair of laterally-spaced drive sprockets 34 around which extend conveyor chains 35. The forward end of each rail 33 is pivoted in any suitable manner, as at 36, to a:

forwardly and downwardly directed digger rail 31. The forward ends of the digger rails 31 are connected. by a substantially horizontally-disposeddigge'r scoop33 of any suitable form The digger rails 31 have journaledtherein an idler shaft 35 which. has fixed: thereon between. the

rails in laterally-spaced relation a pair of idler sprockets 40 around which the lower end loops of the conveyor chains 35 extend. The pivots 36 are of a type which permits upward movement of the digger rails 31, Figure 9, but does not permit downward movement beyond the position shown in Figure 9. i

The forward end of the auxiliary frame 29 has pivoted. thereto in any suitable manner, as at H, the fulcrum of a bell'crank lever 42; One arm 43 of the bell crank lever 42 has pivoted thereto the forward end of a link 4'4,.the rear end of which is pivotally connected in any suitable manner to the hand lever 25. The hand lever 25 below the connection with the link 44- is pivoted to the auxiliary frame 29 in any usual manner, and is engageable with. a typical toothed quadrant 45 whereby the lever. 25 may be locked in adjusted position. The other lever arm 46 of the bell crank 42 is pivotally connected to the upper end of a yoke 41 which includes a pair: of laterally-spaced depending, legs 48. The lower ends of the legs 48 are pivoted, as at 50, to the digger side rails 31 forwardly of the pivotal connection 36 with the conveyor rails 33. chains 35 areconnected by a' plurality of longitudinally-spaced conveyor slats or lifts 5i, where by to provide an open type of endless conveyor. type of conveyor being. open. sifts out a certain amount of the liner spoil scooped up by the l scoop 3B. Thus, a certain amount of fine spoil, such as sand, dry earth and possibly small stonesyfall through the open conveyor to the ground. The remainder of the coarser spoil, together with: the potatoes contained therein, are transmitted rearwardly along the conveyor and discharged over the rear end thereof. When the digger scoop 3-8 is not, to be used, as when the tractor is traveling to and from. afield, the hand lever 25 is pulled to a rearward position and locked on the quadrant 45 in a known manner. This operation, raises the forwardly-directed bell crank arm 46, together with the yoke 41,. digger r rails 31 and the digger 38. Also, the quadrant 45 permits the depth into the ground tonwhich the digger 38 is to extend to be: regulated within defined? limits.

- As best seen in Figures 9 and a rod or arm 52 extends laterally of the: tractor frame 2 l forwardly of the digger scoop 38. The rod, or arm 52: has. mounted thereon a pair of depending,

fingers 53,, the forward ends of which. are forweirdly-directed, as at 54. The fingers 53 yieldingly engage the ground on either side of the digger scoop 38 and. forwardly thereof topick up potato vines or the likewhich might conceivably impede the action of the scoop. When the digger is: not. operating, the fingers 53- are adapted to be swung forwardly or rearwardly on the arm 52 relative to the tractorframe 2 l, whereby they may be positioned out of a ground-engaging position.

Obviously, the portion of the invention just described is, capable of operating independently with the tractor to, dig potatoes and deposit them rearwardly of the tractor for manual sorting. However, the portion of the invention just described is-specifically adapted for use with a par- The conveyor ticular trailer now to be described. In practice, the digger portion of the invention would be used independently of thetrailer only when it is necesj saiy to operate on terrainover which the trailer' could not be drawn.

. The tractor frame 21 has secured thereto in any suitable manner reawardly of the rear axle housing 22 a draw bar 55 which is best seen in Figures 1', 2 and 14. The draw bar 55 may be substantially U-shaped in plan, Figure 2, and the bight thereof is provided with a plurality of laterally-spaced apertures fifi therethrough for the reception of pins 51 whiohpivotally" attach apreferably tubular tow bar 58 thereto. The tow bar 58 extends rearwardly of thedraw bar 55 and has secured on one side thereof a spring latch 59 terminating in an inwardly-directed latch. finger 60. The tow bar 58 slidably receives a forward end of a tow rod 5! for theltrailern The tow" rod 6'! is provided with a plurality of longitudinally-spaced, transversely-extending ap- I ertures 52 therethrough for the reception of the 1 latch finger 60. i The rear end of the tow rod 6| is pivotally connected, as at 63, to an upwardlyofiset free end" of a bracket member 64, the rear end of which is fixedly connected to the frame 55 for the trailer. The tow rod GI intermediate the pivot 63 and the forward end thereof hastfixed.

thereon a laterally-extending arm 65,- the free end of which is pivoted, as at 61, to the free end of a piston rod 68. The piston rod is slidable through the end wall of a hydraulic cylinder ,59

and has fixed on the inner end thereof. a piston l9; Cylinder B9 is supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure at each end thereof by conduits H and F2 which are operatively connected to the hydraulic system of the tractor 2D in any suitable manner, not shown, whereby the piston 10 may be selectively driven in either direction relative to the cylinder 69. The cylinder 69 isfiXedto, the draw bar 55 by any suitable bracket, 113. The purpose of the particular hitch shown and described here is to enable the trailer to be adjusted relative to the tractor in forward and rearward directions, whereby to position the cooperating parts of the digger and trailer properly. Thus.

with the latch 53' and latch finger disengaged:

from the tow rod 5!, the admission of hydraulic Moreover, it eliminates the necessity for backing.

the tractor or manually moving the tr'ailer to achieve: such fine adjustments.

The trailer according to the invention is best seen in Figures 1*, 2 and 3, with details being shown in other views, and comprises a suitable horizontally disposed frame 65 composed of suitable horizontally disposed frame members H and verticalframe members 13 which are supported bya suitable axle l4 and ground-engaging wheels 15. A. portion of the frame maybe covered by flooring 15 to provide a platform for potato storing receptacles and/or to provide afoothold for an operator. i J

The trailer frame 55- has mounted thereon an independent power unit 19 which preferably comprises an internal combustion engine of any suitable: type.

This form of adjustment is obviously.

The engine 19' is provided with a,

drive shaft 89 to which is fixedly secured a drive sprocket 8| which bears an endless chain or the like 82 which extends around a driven sprocket 83on a counter-shaft 84. The counter-shaft B4 is provided with a suitable slip-clutch 85 which comprises a hub 86 having double-beveled clutch teeth 88 which have a slip engagement with complementary double-beveled teeth 89 carried by a driven clutch member 81. The driven clutch member 81 is keyed to a driven shaft 99 in any suitable manner, as by a key 9I. A coil spring 92 is concentricallydisposed about the driven shaft 99 and bears against the outer surface of the driven clutch member 81 to maintain the teeth 88 and 89 normally engaged. Obviously, if any obstruction is encountered in any of the means, to be described later, driven by the driven shaft 99, the spring 92 will yield and permit the clutch 85 to slip and thereby avoid damage to the various parts. The counter-shaft 84, together with the slip-clutch 85 and related parts is best seen in Figure 11.

The driven shaft 99 has fixed thereon a driven sprocket 93, the hub of which provides an abutment for one end of the coil spring 92 aforesaid. The driven sprocket 93 carrying a chain 94 drives a further sprocket 95 on a shaft 96. The shaft 96 is journaled in suitable vertical frame members I8 and also carries a sprocket 91 fixedly thereon which in turn drives through a chain 98 a conveyor drive sprocket 99 on a shaft I99. The shaft I99 is journaled in a pair of laterallyspaced conveyor rails I9I adjacent the upper ends thereof. The conveyor rails I9I extend longitudinally of the frame 65 forwardly and downwardly and are suitably secured to vertical frame members I8. The lower ends of the frame rails I9I are positioned in alignment with and slightly forwardly of andbelow the rear end portions of the conveyor rails 21 of the tractor digger conveyor.

As aforesaid, the forward ends I92 of the conveyor rails I9I provide horizontally-disposed extensions, the free ends of which have journaled therein a cross idler shaft I93. The idler shaft I93"has fixed thereon in any suitable manner a pair of laterally-spaced idler sprockets or rollers I94 to receive the conveyor chains I91; A further pair of upper and lower idler sprockets I95 and I98 is provided for each chain, whereby to cause a forwardly terminal portion of the runs of the chains to extend horizontally'through the horizontally-disposed portions I92 of the rails. The upper ends of the rails I9I, as aforesaid, have journaled therein the sprocket drive shaft I99 which has mounted thereon between the rails a pair of laterally-spaced drive sprockets I98 around which the conveyor chains I91 extend. The conveyor chains I91 are connected by longitudinally-spaced supporting slats I99 which are relatively closely spaced to prevent the falling of potatoes or the like through the conveyor. At substantially greater intervals and interposed between adjacent support slats I99 there is provided a plurality of transporting slats or lifts II9. Such lifts II9 extend substantially further outwardly from the conveyor whereby to support the potatoes and the like as they travel upwardly with the chains I91. As is clearly seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3, potatoes and the like, together with any spoil accompanying the same, drop off of the rear end of the digger conveyor previously described and onto the horizontal portion of the last-described conveyor between the horizontal terminal portions I92 of the side rails I9I'. As the upper runs of the chains I91 are ascending, such potatoes and spoil are carried upwardly between the rails I M and are discharged past the upper ends thereof. During such passage upwardly along this last-namedconveyor additional light or fine spoil, capable of passing between the slats I99, falls to the ground together with any potatoes of small size. How ever, the potato vines, together with any large spoil and all of the large potatoes, are retained on the conveyor and discharged over the upper end, as aforesaid.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 11, the driven shaft 99 extends laterally outwardly of the driven sprocket 93 and has fixed thereon for rotation therewith a bevel pinion III which is in mesh with a bevel gear I I2 which is fixed on a longitudinally-extending shaft H3. The shaft II 3 has fixed thereon rearwardly of the bevel gear II2 a sprocket I I 4 which, through a chain II 5, drives a longitudinally-directed shaft II 6 through a sprocket connection therewith. The shaft H6 is effective to drive a transverse conveyor I 39 and through a chain I I! and a second transverse shaft IIB, all connected by suitable sprockets, drives an additional horizontally disposed transverse conveyor I I9.

The conveyor II9 comprises a pair of spaced side rails, the shape of which is best seen in Figure 4. tally-disposed portion and an upwardly and 1at-' erally-inclined portion designated by I2I and I29, respectively. The horizontally-disposed portions I2I are disposed transversely of and below the rearward end of the conveyor side rails I9 I. Also, the forwardmost side rail portion I2I is slightly inwardly of the rear end of the conveyor side rails I9I, whereby material transported off of the end of such conveyor will fall by gravity onto the horizontal end of the conveyor II9. An end rail I62 connects the outer free ends of rail portions I'2I. Suitable sprockets I22 on the shaft II8 drive an endless conveyor belt I23, suitable upper and lower idler gears I24 and I25, respectively, transmit the upper and lower runs of the belt I23 first over a horizontal path and then.

upwardly to the shaft IIB. A pair of idler sprockets I26 are located at the left-hand end, Figure 4, of the horizontal portion of the conveyor H9. The belt I23 may be provided with suitable lifts or slats I2'I which are substantially widely spaced. This particular conveyor is not of the open type in that the belt I23 is substantially non-porous. As is clearly apparent from Figure 2, material carried up the first-mentioned conveyor of the trailer will be deposited upon the conveyor H9. The shaft II6 aforesaid drives a suitable driven sprocket or roller I28 of the conveyor I39 which comprises a belt of substantially non-porous material which extends horizontally from the inner end of the conveyor I I9. The opposite end of the conveyor I 39 extends around an idler roller or sprocket I29. The inner end of the upper run of the conveyor I 39 is positioned slightly below the inner end of the upwardly-inclined run of the conveyor belt I23, whereby material conveyed by the conveyor H9 is deposited upon the inner end of the conveyor I39. The outer rollers or sprockets I29 are fixed on a shaft I3I which is located slightly laterally outwardly of the body frame of the trailer. Thus,

any material reaching the outside end of the con-- Such side rails comprise a horizon-- from escaping off the sides of the same, except as noted hereinafter. r

The transverse driven shaft 96 has fixed on an inner portion thereof a pulley I33 which is connected by way of acrossed belt I34 to a pulley I35 fixed on a second and forwardly-located transverse shaft I36, Figures 2 and 3. By crossing the belt I34 in a well-known manner, the direction of rotation of the shaft I36 "relative to the shaft 98 isreversed in a well known manner. The shaft I36 has fixed thereon suitable rollers and] or sprockets for an endless conveyor belt I31 which extends forwardlyof the transverse'conveyorI30 intermediate theends thereof. Suitable idler rollers and/or sprockets are mounted on the transverse idler-shaft seem the region of the transverse conveyor I301" Means to be described later are provided for ytr'ansporting potatoes or the like from the conveyor I30- onto the conveyor I31, whereby the same are delivered'forwardly to suitable containers, not shown,-located onthe platform or packing station 13 aforesaid. -A

frame member -I39 extends across'the forward end of the conveyor I31 and has pivoted thereto,

asat Hit-a gate I40 which ismovablefrom'the to be alternately filledwhereby a full container.

can be removed from the platform 16 while an empty container is being filled. I

The drive shaft 80 of the engine 19 has an extension extending laterally outwardly of the drivesprocket 8| and has fixed thereon a double pulley I42. A pair of belts I43 extending from the double pulley I42 drive a second double pulley "I44fixed on a transverse shaft I45. Laterally outwardly of the double pulley I44 the shaft I45 has fixed thereon a pulley I46 which is connected by a belt I41 to a pulley I48on the shaft I49 of a rotary upstanding blower I50. The blower I50 is "provided with a discharge spout I5I, the discharge end I52 ofwhich is relatively narrow and discharges a blast of air in the horizontally-disposed space between the under surfaceof the shaft I09 for the first-named trailer conveyor and the upper surface of the conveyor I I9. Such blast of air is directed upwardly and is effective to blow vines and any remaining light spoil, such as sand or dirt, over the conveyor H9, whereby to separate the potatoes from any remaining light, spoil. The provision of the double pulleys I42 and I44, together with the two belts I43, is to provide a safety factor in theeventofj the breakage of one belt. Thus, if one belt I43 breaks, the other is capable of drivingthe apparatus.

I The opposite end of the shaft I45 has fixed thereon for rotation therewith a pulley I53 which drives a, belt I54 which extends around a pulley I55 which is fixed on a shaft I56 ofa; second blower I 51; The blower I51 is provided with a spout I58, the upper end I59 of which is restricted and is adapted to dischargeahorizontally-directed blast of airjforwardly across the upper run of the transverse conveyor. I30. The direction of the blast of, air discharged from the nozzle I59 is in alignment with the forwardlyextending conveyor I31. The blast of Birdslivered by the blower I51 is substantially strong and preferably stronger than the blast delivered by the blower I50, and is efiective to roll the lighter vegetable material, such as the potatoes, off of the conveyor I30 and onto the forwardlyextending conveyor I31. The effect of this performanceisto leave-onthe conveyor I30 nothing butheavy spoil, such as rocks or heavy lumps of dirt, which fall ofi the outer end of the conveyor I30 ontothe ground. To protect an op erator stationed on the platform 16 from the effects ofthe; blast delivered by the nozzle I59, a-bl-astdefiector I60 of any suitable form, but preferably vertically disposed and forwardly and outwardly inclined, extends across the forwardlyextendlng" terminal conveyor I31 between the ends thereof." I The terminal conveyor I31 is provided with side rails IBI to maintain the potatoes or other vegetables thereon during their travel thereover. I I

While I have shown a pair of blowers I50 and I51, it is conceivablethat they could be combined as a single blower having a pair of discharge spouts conforming to the spouts disclosed hereinbefore. Withsuch arrangement, any variation in the velocity of the air blasts delivered by the spouts could be accomplished by enlarging" or restricting the discharge nozzles.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation of the invention is readily understandable. In brief, such operation comprises the steps of digging the potatoes by the digger scoop 38, transportation of the dug potatoes, together with the spoil, rearwardly over the tractor-attached conveyor. Fromsuch conveyor the partially-sifted potatoes and spoil are 'deposited on theforward end of the first-named trailer carried conveyor, which, being of slatted construction, operates to sift out virtually all of the fine spell. At the upper end of such conveyor the potatoes and remaining spoil are forced to fall through the-air blast from the blower nozzle 152-, whereby the remaining light spoil including the vines areblown clear of the trailer and allowed to fall to theground. Thereafter, the heaviersp'oil, together with the potatoes, fall onto" the eonveyorIIS, are transported to the conveyor I30, and again subjected to an air blast by the nozzle I59. At this point the lighter potatoesreadily roll off of the conveyor I3Ilonto the conveyor I 51 and are transported to the packing station 16...-Conta'iners, not shown, for the potatoes delivered to such packing station are successively removed from such 'station by a truck crew in a well known manner, andempty containers substituted. By propermanipulation of the gate I40, an empty container may always be positioned belowthat portion of the" discharge end of the conveyor I31 which .is opened by the gate. While'I have shown a pair of transverse oonveyors I I9 and I 30, itis believed obvious that a single conveyor could be substituted therefor. *Inlikem'ahner, .it may be possible to dispense with the conveyor" I31 and substitute instead a downwardly-inclined chute. At the same time, the particular arrangementof conveyors is eifective to utilize to the greatest advantage the available'space on the trailer. As-is apparent fromFigure 2, the conveyors are disposed, upon the trailer in a substantiallyU-shape, whereby virtually all of the availablespaoe on the trailer is utilizable. For instance, the space between the packing stationlfi and the first conveyor may be floored over and whereby to comprise a storage space for empty'containers. Also, it is noted from; Figure "2 that the arrangement described enables the trailer to be of no greater width than the tractor, whereby it is readilypassed through any opening through which the tractor may pass.

Although not specifically described, it is understood that the several parts, such as the engine 19,- blowers I50 and I51, and the various driving and driven shafts, are suitably journaled in any well known manner and/or secured to the 11011! zontal and vertical frame members 11 and-18 of the trailer. s v

Thus, while I have shown and described what is now thought to be the preferred forms ofthe invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim: v

1. In a towed apparatus for conveying, separating from spoil, and loading in containers a quantity of potatoes deposited thereon, a mobile frame rectangular in plan and having means extending from its front end connectable toa towing vehicle; a first conveyor aligned longitudinally with one side of the frame and ex tending from the front end to the rear end thereof to receive intermixed potatoes and spoil at the front end and move the same to the rear end of the frame, the first conveyor having cleats alternating with open spaces to effect gravitation ofsome of the spoil to the ground surface during said movement; a second conveyor arranged transversely of the frame at the rear end there: of and extending from said one side to the other side of the frame, said second conveyor having its head end positioned to receive material from the discharge end of the first conveyor and itsdis charge end projecting laterally of and beyond the other side of the frame; a first blower h'EWing itS discharge end disposed between the discharge end longitudinally with the -third'conveyor to blow the potatoes laterally off the secondv conveyor onto the third conveyor while leaving the remaining spoil on the second conveyor for passage off the discharge end thereof; a platform mounted on the front end of the frame contiguous tosaid other side of the frame and to said discharge end of the third conveyor, the platform being adapted to support containers for, the filling thereof with potatoes discharged from the third conveyor, said conveyors being arranged in the shape of a U extending about the respective sides and rear end of the frame and defining an open space at the center of the frame; and means mounted in saidopen space of the frame operatively linked to the respective conveyors and blowers for driving the same simultaneously.

2. In a towed apparatus for conveying, separating from the spoil, and loading in containers a quantity of potatoes deposited thereon, a

mobile frame rectangular in plan and having means extending from its front end connectable to a towing vehicle; a first conveyor aligned longitudinally with one side of the frame and inclined upwardly from the front end tothe rear end thereof to receive intermixed potatoes and spoil at the front end and move the same to the rear end of the frame, thefirst conveyor dischargeend projecting laterally of and beyond the other side of the frame; a first blower underlying and aligned longitudinally with the first conveyor, said first blower having its discharge end disposed between the discharge end of the first'conveyor and the head end of the second conveyor to blow an additional quantity of spoil from the potatoes; a third conveyor elevated above andaligned longitudinally with said other side of the frame and having its head end disposed adjacent one side of the second conveyor intermediate the ends ofthe second conveyor, the discharge end of the third conveyor being disposed proximate the front end of the frame; a'second blower partially underlying and having its discharge end arranged transversely of the second conveyor in longitudinal alignment with the third conveyor, to blow the potatoes laterally off the second conveyor onto the third conveyor while leavingthe remaining spoil on the second conveyor for passage off the discharge end thereof; a platform mounted on the front end of the frame contiguous to saidother side of the frame and to said discharge end of the third conveyor, the platform being adapted to support containers for the filling thereof with potatoes discharged from the third conveyor, said conveyors being arranged in the shape of a U extending about the respective sides and rear end of the frame and defining an open space at the center of the frame; and means mounted in said open space at the center of the frame operatively linked to the respective conveyors and blowers for driving the same simultaneously.

, 7 SIMON J. LEVESQUE.

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